While close races can be the norm in redistricting years because candidates must communicate with large numbers of people they have never represented before, it was also anticipated that more conservative voters would impact the primaries. Below are the highlights of the races last night. For a complete election breakdown, the Texas Tribune Scoreboard covers Statewide, Congress, SBOE and Texas House and Texas Senate races.
Runoffs ( 99% of the precincts reporting)
- US Senate – David Dewhurst (45%) and Ted Cruz (34%) will go to a Republican primary runoff primary on July 31 for retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s seat while Paul Sadler (35%) and Grady Yarbrough (26%) will head to a Democratic primary runoff.
- Railroad Commissioner – Christi Craddick (36%) and Warren Chisum (27%) will go to a runoff primary.
- Railroad Commissioner – (unexpired term) – Barry Smitherman (Inc.) with 44% of the vote will go to a runoff against Greg Parker who garnered 28% of the vote.
- Texas SD 25 candidates – Inc. Jeff Wentworth (36%) and Donna Campbell (34%) will go to a runoff.
SBOE
The State Board of Education races results included the defeat of two incumbents and three runoffs (only contested primary results are reported below):
- SBOE District 1: Martha Dominguez (D) El Paso wins the district as she garnered over 55% of the votes (80% of the votes in).
- SBOE District 2: Runoff between Ruben Cortez, Jr. (D) Brownsville & Celeste Zepeda Sanchez (D) San Benito who, in the General, will run against Laurie Turner (R) Corpus Christi who won the GOP primary with over 77% of the votes.
- SBOE District 3: Inc. Michael Soto (D) San Antonio was defeated by Marisa Perez (D) San Antonio who received 66% of the votes.
- SBOE District 5: Inc. Ken Mercer (R) San Antonio won with 71% of the votes.
- SBOE District 6: Traci Jensen (D) Houston won and garnered 51% of the votes.
- SBOE District 7: Inc. David Bradley (R) Beaumont won and received 58% of the votes.
- SBOE District 8: Inc. Barbara Cargill (R) The Woodlands won with 68% of the votes while in the Democratic primary, Dexter Smith (D) Friendswood won with 58% of the votes.
- SBOE District 9: Inc. Thomas Ratliff (R) Mount Pleasant won with 52% of the vote.
- SBOE District 10: Runoff between Tom Maynard (R) Georgetown and Rebecca Osborne (R) Austin who garnered 43% and 42% of the vote – respectively.
- SBOE District 12: Runoff between Geraldine “Tincy” Miller (R) Dallas and Gail Spurlock (R) Richardson with 35% and 24% of the vote – respectively.
- SBOE District 14: Inc. Gail Lowe (R) Lampassas was defeated by Sue Melton (R) Waco who received 54% of the total votes.
- SBOE District 15: Marty Rowley (R) Amarillo narrowly defeated Anette Carlisle (R) Amarillo, 50.5% to 49.5%.
Texas House
A total of 7 Republican incumbents were defeated in the primaries last night and 4 Republican incumbents will be facing the July runoff. No Democrat incumbents in the Texas House were defeated or will be facing a July runoff.
Incumbents defeated in Republican Primary –
HD 6 Leo Berman, HD 9 Wayne Christian, HD 15 Rob Eissler, HD 19 Mike Hamilton*, HD 57 Marva Beck, HD 93 Barbara Nash, HD 98 Vicki Truitt.
(*pairing through redistricting – James White (Inc.) won HD 19)
Of the incumbents defeated in the primary, 3 held chair positions: Public Education Chair Rob Eissler, Licensing & Admin Procedures Chair Tuffy Hamilton and House Pensions & Investments Chair Vicki Truitt.
Republican Runoffs July 31 –
- HD 11 – Inc. Chuck Hopson and Travis Clardy
- HD 12 – Tucker Anderson and Kyle Kacal
- HD 23 – Wayne Faircloth and “Bill” Wallace
- HD 24 – Greg Bonnen and Ryan Sitton
- HD 26 – Rick Miller and Jacquie Chaumette
- HD 43 – Inc. J.M. Lozano and Bill T. Wilson II
- HD 59 – Inc. Sid Miller and J.D. Sheffield
- HD 67 – Jon Cole and Jeff Leach
- HD 68 – Trent McKnight and Drew Springer
- HD 88 – Inc. Jim Landtroop and Ken King
- HD 91 – Ken Sapp and Stephanie Klick
- HD 114 – Bill Keffer and Jason Villalba
- HD 115 – Steve Nguyen and Bennett Ratliff
Democrat Runoffs July 31–
- HD 40 – Terry Canales and “Auggie” Hernandez
- HD 95 – Nicole Collier and Jesse Gaines
- HD 117 – Philip Cortez and Tina Torres
- HD 137 – Gene Wu and Jamaal Smith